Review: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISSOCIA, New Athenaeum Theatre
A whimsical, profound and delightfully random revival of Anthony Neilson's zany hit
By: Mary Baillie Nov. 10, 2023
A playfully profane Alice in Wonderland-esque trip transforms into a psychological exploration in The Wonderful World of Dissocia at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland this week. The play's two acts are polarisingly different, offering an insightful perspective into the 'treatment' of mentally ill patients.
Lisa (Lisa Vetta) has lost an hour, so naturally her eccentric watchmender (Adam Bregman) directs her to the land of Dissocia to retrieve it. Dissocia feels like an acid trip drenched in surrealism - her journey involves hilarious Insecurity Guards (Ava Hickey and Ross Flynn), an overbearing Oath Taker (Om Nishant Saini), a nightmarish Scapegoat (Seamus Dillane), a teddy bear singing about death (Kaylah Copeland) and dropping bombs from a flying bicycle. Jokes are clever and edgy, consistently keeping us on our toes - it is delightfully random, in the best way. As expected, all actors are sensational.
The first act is a whimsical theatrical masterpiece - Finn ven Hertog's directing, Nommy Soplantila's sounds, Kai Fischer's lights, Calum Owens' set and Glenn Parkinson's costumes combine to create a fast-paced and vibrantly magical rollercoaster. The meticulous detail here is noteworthy: Kazoos simulate buzzing flies, 'DISSOCIA' letter balloons from the zany Welcome Song remain onstage spelling SOS... hinting at what is yet to come.
The second act is starkly different - we are in Lisa's reality. A hospital room frequented by unsympathetic nurses, this act feels overwhelmingly slow and monochromatic. The ongoing monotony makes us long for the excitement of the first act, sparking an exploration of escapism in mental illness by depicting a valuable perspective of the sufferer: a return to 'wellness' is not always appealing... sometimes detachment from reality is the more attractive option.
A must-see at RCS this week.
The Wonderful World of Dissocia is at the New Athenaeum Theatre until 10 November
Photo Credit: Robbie McFadzean
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